Theme Of Shame In To Kill A Mockingbird

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In Harper Lee’s American classic, To Kill A Mockingbird (1962), dirty is used as a symbol of shame in the society of Maycomb, Alabama. When Jem ruins Mrs. Dubose’s yard he is punished by having to read to Mrs. Dubose for a month. When he is forced to do this, Scout joins him; however, Scout is not as gladly welcomed as Jem is into Mrs. Dubose’s home. Mrs. Dubose’s first words to Jem are, ‘“So you brought that dirty little sister of yours, did you?’ was her greeting” (Lee ).When Mrs. Dubose says “that dirty little sister,” she is referring to Scout. Dirty is used to describe something that is tarnished, unclean, and poor. Therefore, when Mrs. Dubose uses the word “dirty” she is claiming that Scout portrays these qualities. Getting this accusation